Florida District Courts of Appeal, 2017

Chiarenza v. State

Chiarenza v. State
Florida District Courts of Appeal · Decided March 8, 2017 · Scales, Suarez, Wells
217 So. 3d 128; 2017 WL 927812; 2017 Fla. App. LEXIS 3089 (Southern Reporter, Third Series)

Chiarenza v. State

Opinion of the Court

PER CURIAM.

We affirm Appellant John Chiarenza’s conviction for aggravated assault. The jury’s verdict is supported by competent, substantial evidence of each element of the crime. Walker v. State, 957 So.2d 560, 577 (Fla. 2007). Further, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the admission of Chiarenza’s preferred expert. Rodriguez v. State, 413 So.2d 1303, 1304 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982). Nor did the trial court abuse its discretion by denying Chiaren-za’s requested special “defense theory of the case” jury instruction. While the trial court, in its discretion, certainly could have given the defense’s special instruction (Card v. State, 803 So.2d 613, 624 (Fla. 2001)), the standard instructions given to the jury fully covered Chiarenza’s defense theories. Stephens v. State, 787 So.2d 747, 755-56 (Fla. 2001).

Affirmed.

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